Echo
by alwaysbutneverright
Summary: His past prejudices haunt him while Hermione is a forced prisoner in the Malfoy Manor, and his new wife. Can he overcome his hatred for her to save her and himself from the Dark lord's grasps, or will he ultimately sacrifice his one chance for any type of redemption?
1. Chapter 1

**If you are a member of H&V, you will more than likely see this story again.**

**I've just been rubbish at writing it and I've only got a solid three chapters (four if you include this as a chapter) done.**

**But I feel like if I was already posting then it'll make me more consistent with writing.**

**Do enjoy.**

**Happy reading :D**

* * *

_"Do I expect to change, the past I hold inside,_  
_with all the words I say,_  
_repeating over in my mind,_  
_somethings you can't erase, no matter how hard you try,_  
_an exit to escape is all there is left to find."_

He watched her on the ground. Pity. He felt pity for her, and it burned in the pit of his stomach. He felt _bad_? For a muggleborn nonetheless… He scoffed at himself, but still turned his eyes to train across her face. He wondered idly why he had his wand drawn at that particular moment. It wasn't trained on anything, it was just up, and he just stared at the girl on the ground. He flinched when his Aunt mumbled an unforgivable that he felt like he had heard thousands of times, but he never flinched before, so why did he feel so compelled to look away now? There was nothing different about this particular find. She was a muggleborn, why should he suddenly care about watching someone he grew up torturing getting tortured?

That was right, he reminded himself. He didn't care. He couldn't. He learned that with war. He shouldn't care. She was just a girl, he convinced himself. She had no name; she didn't even have a face. She was nothing to him. He could work with that. But the longer the screams kept going the more bothered and restless he became. He just wanted to leave the room. Run. He wanted to run and scream himself. But his mom squeezed his hand. Had she been holding it this entire time? He wasn't sure. But he held it back and remained standing, looking forward at nothing and trying to block out the screams that felt unnatural for this girl. Then they thankfully subsided and he found himself looking at her again, eyes roaming her body.

When was the last time she stayed in a proper place? He wondered, but that was stupid. She was a filthy mudblood, what did she matter to him? Nothing, that's what. She didn't _deserve_ to be in his house, yeah, that's right. She deserved nothing. But then he looked at her face and noticed no tears, only raw emotions that he couldn't place. By now, with as much as she's been exposed to this unforgivable in such a short amount of time, people normally go temporarily insane or unconscious. Granted, she hasn't been here long enough to be permanently scarred by its effects, but it seems to haven't even affected her in the least. How odd. That was the moment when she finally gained some respect in his book. He never saw her as an equal, only a threat, but how strong she was being for two nimrods was impeccable to Draco. But he told himself to shred this respect, she doesn't deserve it. All she ever did was rub her barely higher grades in his face.

She was the biggest fuck up in history. She shouldn't exist. And he was once again glad to have witnessed her being tortured.

"She is to stay here as prisoner." His dad decided, pushing his son forward to collect her.

"Why can't she go with the two bumfucks in the dungeon?" Draco hissed, having lost respect for his shit brained father.

"_She _is the brains. We'll let the Dark Lord deal with the other two while we get all the information we need out of her. Besides," his father began flippantly, "She's one of the less important ones to Potter." Draco didn't want her in his house. He didn't want her to bring filth upon it, but his father, the man who had raised him to despise mudbloods, was requesting one be kept in his house! This was absurd, outrageous, and above all, this was pure madness!

"Why can't we keep the weasel then, if he's more important to Potter, wouldn't that make sense?" His father grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him close to his face, nearly spitting on him through clenched teeth.

"The weasel is an idiot. If you could say two words to him that he would understand I would be surprised to say the least. Now do as I say," his father began to talk lower, making Draco want to pull away and run. "Do as I say or _everything_ will end for us." Draco pulled roughly away from his father and stared at him in contempt.

"What do you want me to do with her?" He looked down at her in a full body bind on the floor and she was gagged. He didn't even notice that this had happened and he was almost glad. He wasn't sure he could touch her like this and it bothered him. He almost would have welcomed the idea of her fighting for her life to get away from here, because she could probably get away if she wanted to. This way she was without a doubt staying here and that bothered him.

He didn't want to be near her all the time; it rubbed him the wrong way.

"Keep her upstairs in the room next to yours so you can keep a good eye on her. You need a task Draco, one that you can't possibly fuck up. So this is what I'm giving you." His father looked around to all the people in the room and spoke low again. "So don't, I repeat, don't fuck up." Draco nodded, swallowing his retort and he shoved his complaints far down in his chest. They resided there heavily, making it hard for him to breathe without it sounding haggard and labored.

"Do you expect me touch her or something?" He eyed the girl on the ground who stared at him with contempt. She couldn't open her mouth to speak, but her eyes were speaking just fine. He figured he would become well acquainted with this look if she stayed here long. He hoped that wasn't the case. Lucius whistled, summoning Winky, their house elf.

"You," Lucius pointed the house elf towards the girl. "Put the girl in the room next to Draco's." The house elf nodded and regarded him with kind eyes.

"Any other requests, sir?" Lucius nodded.

"Yes, but I will explain them in full to you later, but for now take her upstairs, we have the boys to deal with." The house elf nodded and grab hold of the girl, apparating her out of the room with ease. "Draco, go release her from her binds and see if you can get her to do something, anything involving eating or drinking." Draco looked at his father like he had gone mad.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I'm not your house elf or your slave, father. I am a Death Eater," he pulled up his sleeve as if his father needed a physical reminder. "I am staying here for when the Dark Lord collects these two because I'm supposed to be a part of this. You're such a selfish bastard." His father sneered, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Is that so, Draco? You were supposed to _kill_ Albus Dumbledore and you just let him slip away, letting Severus take all the glory. You are a shame to this family, a hideous mark on the Malfoy name. You don't deserve to be here. So get! You have fallen in the ranks to keep the house elves company. You have made your bed, so lie in it." His father grabbed his shoulder and pushed him violently towards the stairs.

"I'm the only fuck up?" Draco turned around to push his father back, not caring who all saw. "You're the one who let Potter get away in the Ministry. It could have all ended there, but _you_ fucked up, in case you don't remember. Don't speak to me as if you aren't in the same place, under the same shame, father. Because you are, and I have no respect for you." Draco turned and walked up the stairs, leaving his father to mull over his words. The Dark Lord would be called soon, but Draco had no idea what they would do with the boys, and he honestly didn't care.

He didn't know what compelled him to open the door and look in on the girl, but he wasn't going to follow his dad's orders, he wasn't a lowly slave. Winky had undone the bindings, and removed the gag from her mouth and she sat on the floor in a ball. He looked around, but she was the only one in the room so he approached her. She tensed, but didn't move from her ball.

"Mudbloods," Draco hissed, "they can never appreciate being in a beautiful home." She pulled her head up and glared at him.

"Oh, yes, I forgot, let me just forget I'm being held hostage so I can appreciate a Pureblood's home. You're an arrogant ass, Malfoy, leave me alone." He made a disgusted noise at her snarky comment and he kicked her in the side of the ribs, knocking her on her side. She groaned, and moved to where she could stare in contempt at him.

"Don't talk to me like that, you filthy piece of shit." She stared at him and he rolled his eyes. "Why are you still here, can't you break out?" He wanted her to leave with everything he had. He just wanted her to go away, and leave his house.

"It's kind of hard when you have walls that burn me when I touch them, and doors and windows that throw me three feet away if I get near. Trust me, I don't want to be here, and I don't want you here picking a fight with me for no reason. Leave!" He rolled his eyes at her.

"_I'm_ to look after you, and you can't tell me what to do this is my house, Granger." She curled up in her ball again, and he scoffed, leaving her in the room to mope about by herself. He didn't even realize they had silencing charms on her room until he walked outside of it and there were screams and shouts coming from below him. He took off at a run, brandishing his wand and preparing for a fight.

Potter, Weasley, Lovegood, and Dobby were all fighting the Death Eaters in front of them, and the four of them were easily out numbered.

"Don't kill Potter!" Lucius shouted when someone aimed a killing curse right towards him.

"Where's Hermione?" Weasley shouted, but someone stunned him. Lovegood quickly revived him, pulling him up. Potter tried to apparate, not realizing there were anti-apparation wards all around them. He looked worried, casting a quick glance to the group behind him. Dobby reached out and grabbed their hands, pulling them off to some place.

Silence met them all quickly, the fresh smell of the little battle still hung in the air, and Draco stood stock still, trying not to breathe. Lucius seemed to be bubbling with rage and then Voldemort came into the living room, sensing the air of failure.

"Lucius," the Dark Lord looked to the man who slowly turned around, tense enough that he looked like he was about to explode. "Can you explain to me why I was called here?" Voldemort hissed his words and looked on at Lucius who didn't want to answer.

"We had the boy," Bellatrix ran up to him, rubbing him and touching him all over. "We had Potter!" Voldemort looked to Lucius, as if Bella wasn't there.

"Is this true, Lucius? And if so, why does she say you _had_ the boy, and not _have_ the boy?" Lucius looked up to the Dark Lord, making eye contact for a tenth of the second before darting his eyes back to the ground.

"The snatchers brought the boy and his two friends in, and the two boys got away…" He spoke low and shakily, causing Voldemort to run up and grab him around the neck, cutting off his air supply.

"What? Lucius, you have better come up with that boy or so help me you will be killed without a second thought. You have done nothing but cause me pain and strife, and you better be glad I don't kill you now." He held his wand up to his temple and twisted it into it while Lucius struggled to get away and say something.

"The –," He breathed out, "girl!" Voldemort loosened his grip so he could talk. "We have the girl!" Lucius gasped and the Dark Lord dropped him from his grasp.

"You saved the girl and not Potter! Are you telling me that you could save the mudblood and not the boy?" Voldemort pointed his wand at Lucius's face and Draco tensed up.

"We can use this to our advantage!" Lucius screamed and Voldemort stared at him.

"And how is that, Lucius?" His firm grip on his wand pointed at Lucius's face never faltered.

"We could use her to split up the trio! She is the brains of the group after all." His voice was shaky and he stopped a moment to think, looking at Draco before he looked back to Voldemort. "What would really get them is Draco marrying her." Everyone turned to look at Draco and he turned white, resembling a corpse. Voldemort put down his wand signaling that he agreed with this notion.

Draco was going to have to marry the Mudblood.

* * *

**Just want to take a wee moment to acknowledge how deeply sorry I am for the families that were affected by the shooting in Aurora, Colorado.**

**My heart goes out to you all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**When I started writing this, the chapters were much shorter, and more things happened while they seemed close together and they actually weren't.**

**Draco's life at the Manor is simply dull, for lack of a better word.**

**So all this time skipping and hoping is merely me jumping from one major even to the next.**

**I don't mean to make everything so together.**

**I hope this doesn't confuse you, seeing as how you've only read the prologue.**

**But I hope it broadens your understanding for chapter to come.**

**Happy reading :D**

* * *

Draco walked into his father office, sitting down in the chair he always sat in, and he crossed his hands in front of himself. He didn't want to have this conversation and had thankfully been able to avoid his father for the past few days, but here he was facing the inevitable.

"You've got to marry the girl." His father was going to be frank and he could handle that. He wasn't sure how much patience he would have had for beating around the bush.

"She's filthy and I _refuse_ to let her take my last name." Draco spat, not enjoying the sound at all of being pawned off to a mudblood.

"Draco, I never said you had to like it. But it must be done, for the sake of yourself that is. This is your redemption, Draco. This will get you back in the good graces of the Dark Lord and out of death's eyesight." Draco rolled his eyes.

"I refuse, completely and utterly -,"

"You don't have that option!" His father barked. "You will most positively _die_ if you refuse, and I will not let that happen!" Draco sneered.

"Did mum put you up to that? Because the father I know would have put himself before his son, but this… this is so _strange_. Admit it, father, either mum told you to do what it takes to keep me alive or _I'm _**your** redemption. You aren't doing this for me; you're doing it for yourself." Lucius remained silent, squinting his eyes at Draco.

"Either way, you _have_ to do this. It's our only -,"

"Bull fucking shit! This is not the only way!" His father took a deep breath in and sighed.

"I can't talk the Dark Lord out of it. He was thrilled with plan, and the marriage **will** be publicized. The girl is compliant with the marriage, why can't you be?" Draco nearly choked on the air around him. _The mudblood was fucking compliant?_ This had to be a prank, his father couldn't be serious.

"I'm calling bull shit on that as well." His father shook his head.

"I spoke to her about it myself and she's agreed to the terms and conditions." Draco scoffed.

"Marriage isn't about terms and conditions…"

"And since when did you get so fucking sentimental about marriages? And marriage to a _mudblood_ no less… What did you expect? To marry for _love_?" Draco glared at his father, not understanding.

"You didn't marry mother for love?"

"What the fuck does it matter now? This is about _you_, Draco. You will sign two contracts, a terms and conditions for the marriage, and then a marriage contract to make it legal. The girl has already signed the terms and conditions so I expect you to do the same today. There's no avoiding this train, its coming straight at you."

"I could jump off the tracks." Draco drawled, noting the slight snarl in Lucius' lip.

"And be cast away and never find civilization again, or die. Your choices: hit the train head on, die, or never find civilization again? Just ride the train; it's not like its forever." He pushed the terms and conditions contract towards Draco. He eyeballed it but made no attempt to move. "Don't narrow your options down to the point where you can never look back. Think, Draco, this could be the only way you survive this thing." Draco rationalized there could be no harm in looking at the terms and conditions for this arranged marriage, so he glanced over them quickly.

He spotted simple to follow rules but the brief statement, _"No children," _was the one thing he agreed wholeheartedly with and would be the easiest because he wouldn't be found dead fucking the mudblood.

"The fuck do you think we'll be doing?" Draco looked over the edge of the contract to see his father's expression.

"Well, I don't know! I covered the basics… just decide, _now_. He laid a quill on the edge of his desk and Draco eyeballed it. Jump, die, or hit it head on… he couldn't decide.

Then, as he eyed the terms on last time, he decided to hit it head on.

He pushed open the door to her room open angrily, finding her sitting rigidly on the sofa in her room. He didn't understand why they didn't strip her to the bare minimum instead of treating her like the fucking queen.

"Why did you agree to the fucking marriage?" He hissed at her and she turned to look at him like he was insane.

"Was there really any other choice?" Her voice sounded raspy and dry. Had he seen her since the first day she was here? No, not that he could remember, but he probably blocked it out, painful memory and all.

"Yes, you had a fucking choice; it was a yes or no thing…" Hermione shook her head, standing up to scream at him.

"Are you kidding me, Malfoy? Do you not _see_ where I am, do you not understand that there is shit on the line that you don't understand, so I have to do this!" He shook his head. "So what did you decide, then, since you're _so _angry about what I had to do?" She stared at him, waiting for his reply but he just ran his fingers through his hair. She snorted in disgust, "hypocrite, you're a hypocrite, Malfoy, coming in here yelling at me for my choices when you've made the same."

"What did you expect me to do? Since _you_ agreed, I only had three choices: marry you, get ostracized, or die. What the fuck did you think I would have chosen? If you would have fought against it adamantly then I wouldn't have had to choose like that, I would have had more options." She laughed in a pissed off manner.

"You're just like your father, you only think about yourself. Grow up, and learn to think about someone other than yourself."

"You're doing this to save your own ass and -,"

"Don't you dare try act like you know what situation I'm in, because you don't. You don't know the half of it." He wanted to slap her so bad.

"Don't tell me how to act! You are filthy, you are the dirt beneath my feet, you don't deserve to be alive, so don't tell me how to act!"

"Imagine what your friends are going to think, Malfoy being married to a mudblood. How scandalous, and you know you really should get over yourself because the last time I checked you're _marrying_ the dirt beneath your feet." His palm was tingling with the anger that boiled inside of him. She grabbed the side of her face where his hand had just connected and she looked up at him with rage instead of fright. _Did she like pain?_ He wondered, but shoved the thought aside.

"I fucking hate you, and this marriage is nothing but a fluke. So don't expect shit from me, and don't expect my friends to treat you with any respect, because the last time I check mudbloods didn't deserve any."

He stomped out of her room with the palm of his hand still tingling and a scowl etched on his face.

* * *

It had been a week and Draco smirked to himself at how successful he had been in avoiding his father and his future wife. He wouldn't call her his fiancé, which would suggest they went through a dating phase, which amounted to a proposal, and that would be a totally false account of how it had been for them. In fact, it couldn't be a worse situation for them; they _hated _each other and were absolutely and utterly wrong for each other. He was frowning just thinking about the situation when Winky showed up with a pop!

"Master Draco, your father requests you join the family and a number of guests for dinner tonight. Your wedding is to be announced." Draco raised an eyebrow at the creature, pushing himself further into his armchair.

"And what guests will be there?" Winky thought for a moment.

"Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott Jr., Theodore Nott Sr., The Zabini's, Severus Snape, Madame Parkinson, and your family." Draco nodded and thought for a moment, but the house elf didn't move from her spot.

"Tell my father I will meet him in his office in ten minutes to discuss things." Winky bowed to him quickly.

"Yes, Master Draco." Then she disappeared with a pop.

Draco sat up from his chair and dusted off his slacks, which held no lint or dirt, but it was a habit. He looked briefly in the mirror to assess his appearance before he took off to trek across the manor to his father's office. He didn't knock, not when his father was expecting him, and he sat down quickly in his chair. He knew his father could sense an air of disapproval and he smirked at the thought of a row with his son. It was strange how his father loved picking fights with him, yet demanded respect, but Draco would never admit he picked that up from him.

"Do I detect an unhappy teenager?" His father sneered at him and Draco almost lost his temper. This wasn't going to go well if he was already pissed off.

"Why do we even have to announce the marriage to my friends?" His father looked at him like he was an idiot.

"We have to make this seem as real as possible, Draco, for the trio's sake." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yes, a shotgun marriage between two kids that have hated each other their whole lives, that makes sense. No one is going to fall for this, not my friends and certainly not the trio." Lucius shook his head.

"We have to **try,** Draco. The bint has already **agreed** to the marriage and the conditions, which, if you would have read thoroughly enough you would have seen the line that clearly stated, 'You must make the marriage **appear** to be real.' What part of that makes no sense to you? What you signed is **binding**, you have to do it because it's like you made the unbreakable vow." Draco growled in the back of his throat.

"I don't know how to make it appear real… I'm no actor, I can't just pretend to like and touch her for a publicity stunt." His father rolled his eyes.

"_Romance_ her then, pretend you like her on and off the stage. Get her to tell you her secrets, get her to trust you, Draco. Because if she's doing all the acting, then all you have to do is stand there. Just do this until the end of the war, until we've won this thing." His father was pleading him, and he kind of liked it, but he was repulsed by the notions.

"You want me to _touch_ her?" His father nodded his head.

"And talk to her, actually talk and get to know her." Draco shook his head.

"I fucking refuse to touch or _know_ a mudblood. She's filthy and arrogant! I don't even want her near me…" His father looked down at his desk and took a deep breath, looking back to Draco.

"She's coming to dinner to-,"

"No, fucking no, she's not sitting at our table and eating our food." His father nodded his head. "What are you going to tell me next, she's _sitting _near me?" His father nodded once more and Draco shot up to point a finger in his face.

"I've never hated you so much in my life. Fuck that, if you think it'll do well for me. I know your game, father; I know this is all for yourself, you greedy shit of a bastard." He slammed his hand down on his desk and stomped out of the room, slamming the door hard behind him.

He decided he wouldn't show up for dinner that night and he listened as everyone came in through the foyer and made their way to the extravagant dining hall. He listened as they all laughed and then he heard a knock on his door.

"Fuck off!" He called, and there was a girly sigh on the other side of the door. Figuring it was either Pansy or his mother, he called out again. "Okay, come in." But when the door opened, it was none other than Hermione Granger. She waltzed right in like she owned the place, too. "What the fuck do you think _you're_ doing in here, you filthy creature. Get out, I tell you! Leave!" She rolled her eyes and her face was stoic, devoid of much emotion at all. He glanced down to see a fresh dress was on her and when he looked back up he noticed her hair was fixed.

"Please come to dinner." She seemed uncomfortable expressing this and pleading him, but he wouldn't have it.

"Why the fuck do you care if I'm down there?"

"Because if you're there then I won't be the only one who's absolutely miserable." She shrugged and chewed on her lip compulsively. He snorted disgustedly.

"Like I would do anything for you." She twiddled her hands together, playing what looked like thumb wrestling with herself.

"The contract will make you go, it was starred as one of the things that if you decide you don't want to perform it, and it'll force you to do so. So I would go willingly because it's not so much fun being controlled by a piece of paper…" Draco eyed her and rolled his eyes.

"I refuse to go with the likes of you, now get your filthy self out of my room." She nodded slightly and began her retreat to the door. When he heard the door close, he felt a small tug near his naval. _Shit_, he thought, _the contract must have wanted me to escort her._ He resisted the urge to put on formal clothes and make his way behind her for about five minutes before he felt compelled to put on clothes that would match the occasion. He had his hand on the door knob when he stopped himself again, resisting any pull towards the dinner. But resistance was futile and he found himself twisting the knob. She was at the top of the stairs, seemingly frozen in time.

"I couldn't move from the top of the stairs," she murmured when he got close enough to hear her.

"Fuck me, I hate this." She rolled her eyes and looked at him.

"I'd rather not," she said nervously and he felt compelled to take her arm and lace his through hers. He was repulsed the instant he did it, but the contract demanded them to appear real. Shit, fuck, he hated his father more and more. She made a face, like _he_ had scalded **her**, that bitch.

With a disgusted noise erupting from his throat, they began their entirely too slow descent down the stairs. When they got to the bottom his throat clenched and his heart took off beating. They walked through the giant doors into the dining hall and all noise stopped, time stopped as they all turned to look at who had arrived, and jaws dropped at the sight. Draco wasn't sure how he was controlling his feet at this point, but they continued to move steadily towards the table. He wasn't sure how he looked either, but he knew he felt like shit on the inside, muttering like a big fat baby.

"Draco and Hermione, dear!" His mother, Narcissa called, when they got close to the table and he looked towards her with a smile on his face, but contempt in his mind. _Hermione, dear? What the fuck was __**that**__ all about?_ But he shoved the worry aside and took a spot in one of the two open chairs. Narcissa put a hand up as if to tell him to stop, but she wasn't pointing at him. She cleared her throat and nodded her head in the direction of the seat next to him. She expected him to pull out the fucking chair for the mudblood to soil? This had to be a dream, and he pinched his hand quickly to make sure as he stood up to get her chair. He didn't look at her, just pulled it out, allowed her to sit, and pushed it back. It was done without emotion, and he hoped it hurt her feelings if only a little bit.

"_So_," Narcissa drawled, trying to settle the attention on her, but only the parents turned to look at her. Draco was scared to look at his friends and would have rather admitted to his cowardice and flee opposed to having to face their accusatory glares. This was an absolute fucking nightmare that Pansy decided to push even further, allowing his humiliation to grow.

"Why is _she_ here?" She growled, eyeing Hermione up and down like she was a piece of shit that someone left on the table. At least _someone_ shared his thoughts with him. He knew out of all of them, she would be the hardest to convince it was true, and the hardest to receive forgiveness from. Lucius sighed at Draco's silence and cleared his throat, causing everyone to snap their heads in his direction.

"This is no ordinary meal, as you can tell from…" He pointed to her and stared at her as if he forgot her name. "As you can tell from miss – Miss Granger's presence here…" She blushed deeply and that annoyed Draco. "I invited you all here for a special occasion, one that may seem odd to you, but -,"

"Let's wait until after dinner to announce it, father." Draco spat out hastily and his father stared at him and continued.

"Miss Granger and Draco are getting -,"

"Father, now is _really_ not the time…" His mother glared at him.

"Oh, Draco," she said sweetly with that undertone that he had grown to know so well. "I know you're nervous about this, being in the middle of war and all, but I'm sure your friends will be glad to hear this news!" Draco made his first attempt at looking around the table to see everyone staring at him. He would never be ready for this moment, never ready to admit betrothal to a muggleborn.

"We're getting married," he rushed out, maybe a bit too fast for anyone to comprehend, but he said it nonetheless. And what acid did those words taste like to him! It was awful, and Merlin, he wanted to go wash out his mouth immediately. Everyone's jaws dropped and he immediately regretted saying anything. Damn his parents, damn this situation, damn fucking Granger and her fucking filthy blood.

The only sound that broke what he thought to be an impenetrable silence was Pansy's fork clattering on her plate as she quickly excused herself and stomped out of the dining hall. Draco looked around to his mother's shocked expression and he wiped his mouth his napkin.

"I'd – uh, I'd like to excuse myself as well." His mother snapped her head in his direction and then to the door Pansy just exited. She nodded her head quickly at him so he stood up and followed suit. He took off at a run after her and caught up to her at the front door.

"Don't leave," he said haggardly, out of breath from his sprint.

"You're marrying the fucking mudblood, Draco; I really could care less about your wants or desires." He rolled his eyes reaching for her hand. In hindsight he would realize this may have stopped her because it **appeared** as if he was showing the affection she had been waiting for since they were eight, but truly he was just using a childish way to make her stop.

"I don't want to marry her, don't you understand!" He was surprised he could even say it, but he guessed the contract meant appear as in they had to be in each other's presence.

"You seemed to want to tell everyone at dinner tonight…" She wouldn't look at him and he pulled her hand once more.

"Pans, you know I wouldn't touch that _thing_ with a fifty foot pole…"

"You had your arm linked through hers practically **skipping** to dinner tonight, or are you going to tell me that was a show as well." He opened his mouth to tell her all about the contracts, but found he couldn't… He should have read it closer so he wouldn't have found himself in a situation with his mouth hanging wide open. "I knew it, you're okay with it, and you just don't want to lose me…" He rolled his eyes internally.

"Pans…"

"No, Draco, I'm leaving. I don't have anything to do with you as long as that fucking filth -," His mouth rammed onto hers, silencing her and causing her arms to wrap around him and pull him in tighter. He had never kissed her before, but found she was quite good at it. Granger was the furthest thing from what was on his mind at the moment and he focused all of his thoughts on getting her up the stairs.

They stopped halfway up the grand staircase and she lay down on the cold stone just to begin taking off his jacket and his shirt. He couldn't stop kissing her and she let him at it while she unbuckled and unzipped his pants. He wasn't going to be sentimental about this casual fuck so while she whipped out his length through his pants he simply slid her dress up to waist length, exposing her. He spent no time tearing her underwear down to her knees and inserting himself in her.

He went fast and she loved it, whispering for him to fuck her harder with every thrust. In turn he would tell her to be louder, asking her to scream for him because that's what turned him on. She rightfully obeyed and her cries echoed throughout the house, including the dining hall. No doubt he was going to get shit from his father about it later, but it was a statement that had to be made. Although that bitch would get his last name, she didn't have any control over where his cock went.

Soon he was finished and he hardly cared if Pansy was, so he pulled himself out of her. After wiping his length with her dress, he zipped himself, buckled, donned his shirt and jacket, and headed up the stairs for some rightful sleep.

He ignored her heartbroken attitude because he knew it would make him regret the whole thing all together, but not because he cared, but because a whiner was a total turn off. He knew she was a slut and he knew she was used to rolling off one man and rolling onto another. He didn't fucking need to stay and **cuddle**; she had other dicks to swallow and ride.

He lay in bed after that and heard her heels patter by his room half an hour later. Since when was she allowed to roam? He wondered, but hadn't really noticed her about except for the night… Maybe she was allowed like a ration of time out of her room and she had to use it accordingly… Or maybe only certain people could let her in and out… He would have to ask his father when he came after him about the revenge… _very loud_ revenge sex that he had.

He wasn't afraid of his old man; the dirt bag deserved to be hexed into the next century if he had to do it. Draco could always take one for the team and get rid of him. The only one that would complain would be his mother…

And he always wondered why…

* * *

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm not going to rush them in any way. This isn't going to be some daunting 60+ chapter fanfic,**

**But I actually want to try and write something that I put a lot of time and effort into.**

**I want to stay true to the characters, or as true as I can be.**

**Happy reading :D**

* * *

He woke up to Winky staring at him. He almost punched the creature, seeing as how he sleeps naked, and she just _smiled_.

"Sorry, Master Draco, sir; Winky didn't mean to frighten. Winky only wanted to tell Master Draco that his father is very angry and would like to see him immediately, sir…" Draco nodded.

"Go; tell him I'll be there shortly." She nodded and apparated out quickly. He didn't bother to overly dress for this occasion, and he put on pajamas instead. He walked in and his father was already red in the face.

"Good-," The door was barely even shut when he got cut off by his father.

"What the fuck were you thinking last night? What part of 'Make it appear real,' don't you understand? Are you a fucking nimrod? I swear you've become as dense as the Weasley clan…" Draco opened his mouth but his father kept shouting. "You have got some nerve! And to think I was going to invite Pansy over again!"

"You said no kids with the mudblood, don't you want a fucking heir?" His father bit his lip and breathed deeply.

"When I said that I didn't mean go fuck the first girl that isn't related to you where the whole family could hear it… Do you know how embarrassed your mom and I were? I was utterly humiliated to the point that I wanted to cheer and clap my hands when all the noises ceased." Draco rolled his eyes.

"You want a fucking heir then you complain when I fuck a pureblood."

"I am only complaining because you were doing it in a place that would jeopardize the validity of the marriage -,"

"What fucking marriage validity is there to begin with? You're talking about me and Granger… This is some giant fantasy that no one will -,"

"They won't believe it because you are doing everything to make sure they could never believe it. Yet again you are fucking up a task, and this time there is no Severus to save you…" Draco felt like pointing his wand right at his father's face and hexing him, but he only gripped his wand tighter, feeling the magic course through it.

"I will not fuck this up… I just… I don't know what came over me last night…" Coward, he told himself, you're a fucking coward who is acting like a little twat.

"You need to try and get to know the Granger girl…" His father spoke as if it were a business arrangement.

"The fuck, why?" His father shook his head.

"I told you yesterday, you need to romance her, get her to like you so you don't have to do any acting. You have to get to know her in order to do this. This doesn't mean disclose your personal information, you know that though…" Draco nodded his head but wanted to scream his protests.

"Why do you like her all the sudden?" His father snarled.

"I can't stand that that filth is in my house and sitting on my furniture. I can't stand she sat at a table full of purebloods. And I can't stand that she is marrying you. But she's our only hope, your ticket to a free life, so I'm using her. Then we can dispose of her however we like when we're done. That's what I'm looking forward to… The disposal." His father sounded evil, but he couldn't help but nod at some of the statements because no matter how much he hated him, Draco would probably always think like him. "Go talk to her, because you need to fix this…" Draco nodded and turned to leave his office when his father called out to him. "Fuck whoever you like, just not when there are guests over!" Draco laughed.

He walked up to her room and stood outside of it; his hand closed in a fist and rose to the door. Was he really going to knock as if he respected her privacy? Fuck no. He barged right in and she was sleeping haphazardly on the couch. He looked to the bed and it looked like no one had ever touched it. He cleared his throat and she remained sleeping.

He kicked the sofa and she jumped up, hand pointed towards him like she had a wand, but they had confiscated it from her weeks ago. He laughed at the sight before him, her hair flew around her face like the bushy mess it was, and her hand displayed missing wand. She put her hand down quickly, looking sheepish as she did so.

"What do you want, Malfoy? Come to kick me around a bit?" She glared at him and he looked to the couch. He had to hold his tongue because his father was right. If she could like him then he wouldn't have to do anything.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?" She eyeballed him like he was going to pounce on her if she wasn't on her toes ready to run away.

"I'm not going to busy myself making this my home and getting comfortable. The couch is convenient way to say I may be staying over, but I'm not living here." He nodded his head slowly, not moving any closer to her but she still backed away.

"So you don't want to get attached?" She looked at him as if he had truly gone mad and he was infuriated by it. Couldn't she see he was trying?

"No, especially not after last night because all you are is arse and I hate dealing with you." Here she was insulting him after he had tried to be nice and he decided he was done now.

"Why the fuck would you care who I slept with and who I didn't? You're not my fucking fiancé! I don't care about you and you don't care about me!" She put her hands on her hips and took a step towards him.

"The _only_ reason I care is because this is my ticket to getting away from everything. If we can't make this thing look real then you and I are both dead. I made promises and I intend to keep them, but it's very difficult when you keep being a sleezeball."

"A _sleezeball_, is that some fucking muggle term? And how can I possibly _keep_ being one when I've only pulled a stunt like that once! Stop overreacting, you filthy piece of shit. You're making everything worse than it has to be and to think I was trying to be nice and-,"

"Trying to be nice, is that what you call barging in here and waking me up to question about my sleeping arrangements? You're an inconsiderate jerk who wouldn't know what nice was even if it shot him in the butt."

"I was _trying_ to be nice because I'm _trying_ to make this work and -,"

"What are you going to blame it on me now that it's not working? All you Malfoy's think about is yourself!" They were a mere inch away from each other and their faces were red like a tomato. They just stared at each other then, trying to dominate each other with their eyes, but no one would back down.

"Filthy mudblood…" Draco whispered in her face and she scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Do you really think that word bothers me anymore, Malfoy?" She turned away from him, breaking the stare, and she walked and sat down on the couch. "Find something more insulting because honestly that word doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I'm not the same girl from our first year at Hogwarts." He snorted in disgust and turned to see the door was opened and begging him to return.

"You're right, you're worse. I bet this is your worst nightmare, being stuck in here without a book to read and no one to challenge your brain's superiority. You don't have anyone to be better than when you're cooped up in here and I bet that's killing you. That's all you've become, Granger, a filthy stuck up snob who just wants to prove she's better than everyone else despite the mud that runs through her veins. You're pathetic and I'm surprised Pottyhead and the Weasel even _called_ you a friend." He turned and left her to her bubbling rage.

Well, at least he tried to be nice, right?

* * *

Another two weeks passed and he tried his best to not set eyes on his mudblood visitor despite his father's constant pushing him towards her door. Winky spent a lot of time with her, but never was he doing her any favors. Draco didn't particularly like that, so he found himself beckoning for the house elf.

"Winky!" He was sitting in one of his chairs by the fireplace and Winky popped up right next him.

"Yes, Master Draco?" She had looked loads better since Granger's arrival, more alive and excited.

"Why do you spend so much time with the mudblood?" He spat it out, and the house elf looked stunned.

"Miss Granger does wish for some company, Master Draco. Master Lucius told me to tend to her needs from now on." His insane father was yet again pulling strings and tricks, seeming to like the girl from the outside, but Draco knew there had to be more to this.

"Well, stop giving her company." Winky shook her head.

"But I am to tend to her needs, Master Draco. She wishes for company." Draco stared into the fire, the harsh flames teasing his eyes.

"When she wishes for company, come to me, and I will tend to that need." Winky looked at him questioningly. "That is an order!" Winky bowed.

"Yes, Master Draco. I must go get dinner ready." Draco curtly nodded his head. He and the house elf both knew he was to be served in his room, an arrangement made to avoid his father at all costs. The girl was served in her room as well, and Draco brought his fingers to his forehead to think. Should he go and have dinner in her room with her? It was an absurd thought, but he exited his room anyways, his fist searching for her door instantly.

He actually waited for her to allow him access, but then he remembered the silencing charms. He opened the door a smidgen and called in.

"Granger, I'm coming in!" It was no 'Lucy, I'm home,' but he figured it was nice enough. He strode in and saw her frail shoulders leaning against an armrest on the sofa. She didn't mutter anything to him; instead she just stared into the fire in front of her. He strode over to her and looked back at the bed quickly. There was no sign of it being slept in, but he thought he would ask her anyway. "Still sleeping on the sofa?" She didn't turn to look at him.

"Yes," her throat sounded dry and scratchy. How had her health deteriorated in two weeks by this much?

"When's the last time you ate?" He didn't dare approach her anymore, so he simply stared at the back of her head, watching her shoulders shrug.

"Not sure." Should he be happy about that? Should he be smiling at this moment, or should he open his mouth and protest her stupidity? He wasn't sure, so he stared, and stared until she questioned him. "Why are you here?" Was he really going to tell her something so absurd?

"To eat dinner with you." Yes, he was. She didn't turn to look at him, but he could tell she wanted to. He didn't have a real reason and he hoped she didn't question them.

"Leave," she whispered, "please, I don't want to have to deal with you tonight." Anger bubbled in his cheeks, a scream stung his throat, and his fingernails dug into his palms. But he just stared at the back of her infuriating head.

"Just eat dinner with me! How fucking hard is that, Granger?" She winced at his order.

"I'm not Winky, you can't boss me around." As she got louder, it was harder for her to speak.

"You are my prisoner, I can do whatever I damn well please!" She shook her head and made a slow start to stand up, struggling immensely.

"Please go, Malfoy! I don't want this right now!"

"Then what do you want?" He was pressed against the back of the couch, she the front.

"My friends, my family, my freedom!" Her voiced cracked and burned with each want, tears stung her eyes from the pain, but she wouldn't let them fall.

"Well, you're shit out of luck then! Deal with what you have right now because we are both in a predicament that if we don't cooperate in then we're dead!" She shook her head, finally lowering her voice.

"I'm never going to see any of those things again. I've already looked at all the angles. If you die doing something I'll no longer be of use and they will kill me. If I die, then I'm not sure what your parents will do with you. If your side wins the war, then I'll surely be killed, having been used to my full potential. If my side wins, I'll be the sacrifice. Don't think I don't already know what your side has planned to do with me if that were to happen. I'll be used to get back at them, I'll die." Draco always figured they would have just released her after they were done with her, but he remembered his father's words. Lucius couldn't wait for the disposal, and Hermione knew it too. He felt bad for the girl.

"Just have dinner with me." Cooperate with me, was what he really wanted to say, and I'll cooperate with you, is what he would have thought. He figured it was the least they could do since everything was out of their control. She shook her head.

"You have condemned me to death, your sudden need to do as your father asked won't save me. I think you know that. And I honestly think you don't want to save me. You'd be okay with my death, even more so than you would be with my release. I'm a threat to you, Malfoy, whether it is in school or in this room. I don't want to have dinner with you, or dinner at all. I'd rather die of my own accord than yours." Draco shook his head and snorted.

"What happened to Gryffindor pride? The cowardly lion shows its face here tonight, and faces death as one as well. What happened to the girl in school who looked at life and fought it with her whole heart?"

"She was taken prisoner and condemned to death no matter any outcome. She is stuck, and being tormented by someone who has tormented her her whole life." He shook his head and laughed angrily.

"We are bound to this marriage, Granger. You are giving up a possibility, no matter how small, of freedom to _die_ of your stupid choices! I'm trying here; I'm trying to get to know you because there is no telling how long this marriage," this war," will last." She shook her head.

"Dinner won't let you get to know me, and I don't want to get to know you. Why can't we pretend in public and just live out the rest of our miserable lives as we always have, as enemies?"

"Because I thought you wouldn't want to give up. But now I do, and I presume we both have." He turned on his heel and left the room quickly and silently, returning to his room promptly.

"Stupid piece of shit, I swear I wish I could-," his door slammed behind him and he turned quickly to see his father with a worried expression on his face.

"Raids have begun again, the Dark Lord wishes you be among a team that seeks mudblood's homes out. I went ahead and consented for you to join." Draco glared at his father, a new anger bubbling from his toes to his forehead.

"What the fuck, father? Are you out of your mind! Those are the suicide teams!" His father's head hung low.

"Draco, we _need_ this seeing as our other mission is a slowly evolving one. We need our redemption soon…" Draco shook his head.

"I'm tired of you showing up and fucking up everything! I've avoided you for a reason, you blubbering idiot. **I** am not you! I don't know where the fuck you got this idea that you can run your life as if it was your own. If you want your own damn redemption earn it yourself." His father swiftly walked up until he was mere inches away from his face.

"Don't you dare ever talk to me like that again, I will not hesitate to -," he faltered just there and a sneer graced Draco's face.

"To what, father? You're scared to get rid of me because I'm the only way you see being forgiven. You have nothing over me, father." Draco turned around and his father's voice dropped to a whisper.

"You need to marry the girl, Draco. That is what truly needs to be done. If _you_ yourself want to be a true Death Eater and prove to the Dark Lord that you are valuable, then you need to do that. But you are among a group of Dark Seekers. The most I can do is put you in a group that is low on the list of first recruits." Draco nodded quickly and his father disappeared out of the door.

"Your food, sir?" Croaked a voice from the corner and Draco jumped nearly five feet in the air.

"Shit, Winky, what the bloody fuck are you thinking?" She looked bashfully at the tray in her hands.

"Just bringing you your dinner, Master Draco. My apologies for frightening you." Draco nodded his head to the end table next to his customary chair in front of the fireplace.

"You can set it there." She nodded and did as bade.

"I must return to Miss Granger's room to deliver her supper, good -,"

"What do you mean deliver her supper? She doesn't even eat!" Winky looked bashful.

"I still must deliver it to her; I still must try, Master Draco, as Master Lucius requested upon hearing about her health." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Bull shit." Winky shook her head.

"It's getting late, Master Draco. Good night!" He nodded and the house elf vanished from the room.

Draco eyed his food and promptly shoved it from the end table, sending it across the floor. He grumbled and changed into his pajama pants and discarded his shirt beside his bed.

All the fucked up shit that happened today made him lose his appetite, and he wondered if the girl would ever gain hers.

* * *

**I am not going to rush these things, I am not trying to crank out chapters.**

**I am simply trying to write quality things, so I hope you can understand.**

**Because trust me, chapter 4 is difficult.**

**Review?**


End file.
